Floor-box



H. KRANTZ. FLOOR BOX.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 27, I915.

Patented June 3, 1919.

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HUBERT KRANTZ, 0F BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO KRANTZ MANUFACTURING COMPANY, INC., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

FLOOR-BOX.

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Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 3, 1919.

Application filed September 27, 1915. Serial No. 52,820.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HUBERT KRANTZ, a citizen of the United States, residing at Brooklyn, in the county of Kings, State of New York, have made a certain new and useful Invention in Floor-moms, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to floor boxes, and more particularly to boxes employed in connection with the electric wiring of buildings or the like.

The object of the invention is to provlde a box of improved construction which is simple and efficient, to be set into a floor, wall, ceiling, or the like before completion of the latter, to serve as a container for devices employed to efi'ect electrical connection with the wiring of the building, and with electric lights, motors, fans, call bells or other apparatus within rooms or compartments of the building.

A further object is to provide an improved construction of box of the character referred to which is water-tight and having provision of simple character for accurately adjusting the top or cover of the box to the level of the exposed surface of the finished floor, wall orceiling.

Other objects of the invention will appear more fully hereinafter.

The invention consists substantially in the construction, combination, location, and rela tive arrangement of parts, all as will be more fully hereinafter set forth, as shown in the accompanying drawing, and finally pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring to the drawing Figure 1 is a view in vertical central section on the line 1, 1, Fig. 2, looking in the direction of the arrows, of a fioor box construction embodying the principles of my invention.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the construction shown in Fi 1.

' Fig. 3 is a broken detail view in section on the line 3, 3, Fig. 2, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 with the tiltable member removed.

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 3 showing an arrangement for securing watertightness.

The same part is designated by the same reference numeral wherever it occurs throughout the several views.

connections are to be made inside a room or other compartment to an electric li ht fixture, lamp socket, motor, fan or the like from the wiring concealed in the wall, floor, ceiling or the like, or at points where junctions are to be made in the wiring system of the building. The wires, or connections thereto, are extended into the box or from the interior of the box, through the openings 7 Where the boxes are'employed as an outlet box in connection with fixtures, lamps, fans, etc., in a room or as junction boxes, suitable plugs, contacts, receptacles, or other devices, not shown, and which may be of the usual or any desired construction, are mounted within the box body 6, for effecting the desired electrical connections with the conductors led into the box.

The box body 6 is provided with an annular seat 8, on its inner surface which is of concave contour in vertical section, in which seat is received for free movement in all directions an interiorly threaded annulus or ring 9, the exterior surface of said ring being convexed to the concave contour of the seat. As shown, the arcs of curvature of the annular concave seat in the inner surface of the box body 6., and of the exterior convexed surface of the annulus 9 have the same radius and are struck from a common center, which center, with the parts as and in the position shown in Fig. 1, lies at the intersection of the longitudinal geometric axis of the box and a transverse plane at right angles to said axis and cutting the said curved surfaces medially. This construction forms in eflect a ball and socket joint permitting the annulus or ring 9 and the boxbody to be readily tilt-ed into relative angular relation, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1, and in full lines in Fig. 3. An exteriorly threaded sleeve 10 is screwed into the threaded tiltable ring 9. This sleeve, with its flange 11, may constitute the top or cover for the box, and, if desired,

where circuit connections are to be extended from the box to electric fixtures or apparatus, the top or cover may be provided, as shown with a central opening, or, if preferred, the usual bushing or other form of cap may be applied to the top or cover to form a lead for the conductors extending therethrough.

If desired, and in order to insure water tightness of the ball joint above described, the annulus or ring 9 may be exteriorly grooved to receive a packing ring 12, as shown in Fig. 5, to cooperate with the con cave surface of the seat 8.

To facilitate the ready and easy insertion or removal of the ring 9 the ball seat portion 8 is grooved on its inner surface at diametrically opposite points, as indicated at 13, for a width somewhat in excess of the width of the ring 9, so that by tilting said ring into right angular relation with respect to the seat 8, said ring may be passed into or from said seat.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that I provide an exceedingly simple and effective structure of box in which the top or cover thereof may be brought accurately into level relation with respect to the floor, wall or ceiling of a room or other compartment of a building notwithstanding any inequalities in the level or setting of the box in the floor wall or ceiling structure with reference to the outer surface of the floor, wall or ceiling. The desired angular'tilt or adjustment of the box cover is secured in the ball and socket joint arrangement and any desired adjustment in the direction of the length of the box is secured in the threaded engagement of the sleeve 10 and ring 9. Angular tilt is secured in any desired direction and without the necessity for providing screws or other adjusting devices. The ball and socket joint arrangement serves not only to permit angular tilt of the top or cover in any desired direction but also in and by itself, it acts as a retainer to hold the ring 9 in its seat 8, while at the same time the grooves 123, permit the ready insertion or removal of the ring from its seat. The parts composing the structure are few and simple and capable of easy and ready manufacture and assembly, thereby makin the device an economical one to make. g

It is to be understood that many variations and changes in the details and parts might readily occur to persons skilled in the art and still fall within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the claims. I do not desire, therefore, to be limited to the exact details shown and described.

But having now set forth the objects and nature of my invention, and a structure embodying the principles thereof, what I claim said surface medially, "and an adjusting annulus or ring exteriorly curved to the same radius of curvature, to fit and tilt in all directions in said annular seat.

2. A floor or junction box comprising a box body having an annular concave seat formed in the interior surface thereof, the arc of curvature of said seat having its center of radius located at the point of intersection of the longitudinal geometric axis of the box body and a transverse plane at right angles to said axis and cutting the said surface medially, and an adjusting annulus or ring exteriorly curved to the same radius of curvature, to fit and tilt in all directions in said annular seat, and a cover member connected to said annulus or ring for adjustment relatively thereto.

3. A floor or junction box comprising a box body having an annular concave seat formed in the interior surface thereof, the arc of curvature of said seat having its center of radius located at the point of intersection of the longitudinal geometric axis of the box body and a transverse plane at right angles to said axis and cutting the said surface medially, and an adjustingannulus or ring exteriorly curved to the same radius of curvature to fit and tilt in all directions in said annular seat, and a cover member connected to said annulus or ring for adjustment longitudinally thereof.

4:. A floor or junction box comprising a box body having an annular concave seat formed in the interior surface thereof, the arc of curvature of said seat having its center of radius located at the point of intersection of the longitudinal geometric axis of the box body and a transverse plane at right angles to said axis and cutting the said surface medially, and an adjusting annulus or ring exteriorly curved to the same radius of curvature to fit and tilt in all directions in said annular seat, said annulus or ring being retained in said seat by the engagement of said curved surfaces, and means to permit the removal and insertion of said ring from said seat.

5. A floor or junction box comprising a box body having an annular concave seat formed in the interior surface thereof, the arc of curvature of said seat having its center of radius located at the point of'intersection of the longitudinal geometric axis of the box body and a transverse plane at right angles to said axis and cutting the said surface medially, and an adjusting annulus or ring exteriorly curved to the same radius of curvature to fit and tilt in all directions in said annular seat, said annulus or ring being retained in said seat by the engagement of said curved surfaces, said box having grooves at diametricallyopposite points extending transversely of the curved annular seat to permit the removal and insertion of said ring.

6. A floor or junction box comprising a box body having an annular concave seat, a top or cover, means located in said seat and retained therein by the curvature of said seat, and connected to said top or cover to permit the latter to be adjustably tilted in any direction.

7. A floor or junction box comprising a box body having an annular concave seat formed in the interior surface thereof, the are of curvature of said seat having its center of radius located at the point of intersec- 'tion of the longitudinal geometric axis of the box body and a transverse plane at right angles to said axis and cutting the said surface medially, a top or cover for the box, a support therefor, said support carried by said seat and tiltable in all directions therein relatively to the box. 7

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of the subscribing Witnesses, on this 20th day of August A. D.

HUBERT KRANTZ. Witnesses:

JOHN L. KOLB, JosEPH A. NEWTON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I). 0. 

